Album Review by EDF
Influenced by a varied selection of artists such as country singers like George Jones to Motown from the 60’s to 80’s, AFTER THE STORM is Michael Stacey’s debut release on MSP Records. After spending some time in his early 20’s performing around the South Georgia and Florida areas, Stacey put his career on hold after the birth of his son. Unfortunately, his marriage failed and a return to music was inevitable. This release is a concept album of sorts about the start of a relationship and the path it takes along the way.
Sounding like your typical Country artist with that typical Country guitar sound and fiddles, what actually makes this album enjoyable is the storytelling aspect of the songs. The opening track HIGHWAY 41 tells the story about picking up a woman “with tears in her eyes” caused by what her man had done which then leads to the two of them enjoying each other’s company. OKAY deals with the realisation of a break-up, “Sometimes things just turn out this way”. NOBODY HURT highlights when two people realise that their relationship is not really going anywhere and it’s best to go their separate ways and find their “perfect fit”. LIFE IS GOOD, an uplifting track, highlights the numerous things that makes life good such as heading “off to the woods” with your girlfriend or “skinny dippin’” down at the river. EASY STREET is the humorous tale about quitting your job and doing as you please.
You get a feeling from listening to this that Michael Stacey is serious about his music career and you can hear the hard work that has gone into producing this album. Not relying too much on the usual Country Rock stance other artists take, this is Country Music with decent tunes and honest lyrics.
